The line moved on, but InuYasha just stood there, shocked beyond words, staring at the woman before him...at Sango.
She was older...in her mid 20's. She still had the same face, the same hair...it was definately Sango...just older.
And ...pregnant.
He hissed, nearly silent, "Alright, Mikado, you going to explain?"
The person behind him complained, and taped his shoulder. InuYasha moved ahead, growing closer to Sango.
InuYasha couldn't seem to tear his gaze from her huge belly. Only having seen her for a few minutes, already he was worried. She stood up, wiping the sweat from her forehead. It was hot here, InuYasha knew, and he felt a strange urge to go and tell her she should find a shady spot somewhere, where it was cooler!
There were dark circles starting to form under her eyes. He couldn't take his eyes off her.
Mikado's voice came to him, "And what do you want me to explain, InuYasha?"
He would have said more, but now he was standing directly in front of Sango, and he found himself looking at her, feeling like at any moment she was going to demand to know what he was doing there.
But she only offered him an exhausted smile, and held out two thin blankets to him, not recognising him at all. The two boys he had seen earlier, the two he had spoken to were lugging another basket over, full of patched clothing. They looked at her, and one of them spoke, "You ok, mother?"
Mother!?
The words were out before he could stop them, "They're yours?!"
Sango looked at him, blinking. "Yes...is anything wrong?"
InuYasha stood there, not knowing what to do. Sango had kids?
He had obviously, somehow, been sent into the future. About 5 or 6 years from what he could see. Not too long, for Sango didn't look too different...but definately enough. Sango certainly wasn't pregnant when he had seen her last, or had two boys!
The two boys now looked at him, worried.
"Uh...no, they...we talked...earlier."
Sango turned and looked at them sternly, "And?"
"Uh...nothing! We...talked."
The two boys smiled innocently at Sango. If InuYasha had looked a little closer, he would have recognised the smile.
He spoke again, "You look exhausted! You should go rest."
Sango blinked at him, and then offered him a tired smile, "I can't do that, friend. Far too much to do."
"He's right, though, you need to rest."
InuYasha turned, and saw a man walking towards them. InuYasha felt that same, strange twist to reality.
It was Miroku. He was older as well, obviously...now he carried his Holy Staff, wore the Monk's clothing, though these were worn as well.
Miroku had a scar on his face, that started just over his right eye, and ended just below it, just above the cheekbone. He hadn't lost his eye, although it looked like it was a close thing.
Miroku walked to Sango and slipped his arms around her, hugging her, "You look like you're dead on your feet."
"I'm fine, Miroku."
InuYasha just stared. He kept waiting to wake up. He looked from Miroku and Sango to the twins, wondering how on earth he hadn't seen it before. The twins had such clear features of both of them.
Miroku spoke, "Boys, take your mother back to the house. She needs to rest."
The twins moved at once, both taking Sango by the hands and starting to lightly tug her along, "But-"
"No buts. You've been on your feet all day. I'll take over here."
Sango paused, looking over her shoulder, "How was the funeral, Miroku?"
The monk's face changed, becoming carefully neutral, "The same as they always are, beloved. I hate burying children."
Sango nodded, her face softening, and let her boys pull her on towards the doors.
Miroku turned, not noticing the shocked stares he was getting from the disguised hanyou, and put on a smiling face, "Now then. I see you have your blankets, do you need food or medicine?"
InuYasha just shook his head, dumbly, and found himself pushed on, out of the line, by the person behind him.
The hanyou walked in a daze to a little empty spot, and sat.
Was he dreaming? What the hell was going on?
"Mikado?" he demanded lowly, "Where are you? What the hell is going on?"
Mikado spoke from beside him, "You haven't yet figured it out, InuYasha?"
"You were talking about the future...and now I'm in this place, where Sango is older and...and pregnant," he couldn't get over that part, "And Miroku is older...so I'm guessing you brought me to the future?!"
"I have brought you to a future, InuYasha. One of many."
"What do you mean, one of many? Are you saying the time I'm in doesn't exist?"
He heard Mikado sigh, "Haven't you heard anything I've told you, InuYasha? Not all futures are possible. Anything could happen to change this future. Miroku might be killed tomorrow. Sango might. This village might be destroyed in a week from now, by natural causes."
"Then why bother to show me?" he kept glancing over at Miroku. The monk looked tired as well, but not as exhausted as Sango.
"Because...I need to show you something that could happen. This future is possible."
A thought suddenly struck InuYasha, and he looked towards where he thought Mikado was, "Where's Kagome?"
"She is well, but you cannot see her tonight. She is busy. For now, you need to stay here, with the other fugitives, and listen."
"To what?"
"To them. Listen, and learn."

It was very hard. He kept stealing glances at the monk. At that scar. When had that happened? What had caused it? It didn't seem to cause the monk any problems. His vision seemed good enough, and he appeared cheerful. It was good, in a way, to see Miroku wearing his monk's robes again, but that scar on his face...he couldn't have gotten that unless he was in a bad fight. And he was tall...
But InuYasha knew him well enough by now to see a difference. His cheerfullness didn't extend to his eyes. They were tired, and worried.
Everyone there looked tired. All the helpers. They all looked tired, exhausted, and drained.
He wanted to see Kagome.
It was like an itch. It grew stronger and stronger. Kagome was here. Mikado had said she was ok, but...was she? This place seemed so desperate. What was she doing? Where was she? She must be older too, of course, and he suddenly wanted very badly to see her.
Mikado had told him he couldn't see her tonight...and he was trying to keep to that. But...
He focused on listening to the refugees talking around him. They all pretty much spoke the same story. The demons were killing and destroying. There was only one place left standing...this village.
The people here were good. They were strong. They fought back, they had a plan to save as many as they could.
The ones doing all this had fought demons before. The monk was well known. He had been willing to give up his lifestyle to be with the demon-slayer, but the village had been in desperate need of a holy man, a man of the cloth. Someone to guide them, spiritually. They had asked him, and he had agreed to keep his title. They now had a family. It was also well known that both the demon slayer and the monk were worried about the child she carried. Children weren't being born healthy for some reason, and many were dying.
InuYasha studied his feet while he listened, keeping his eyes low.
More talk went on around him. The others that worked here were tired, being run ragged. They were going to try for a new life in a new valley, one that was naturally protected from Demons. It might be a good place to live, to start new families. They were going to wait for a certain time and then move. No one knew when this time would be, so everyone had to be ready.
Where is Kagome?
More talk. The demon-slayer, the woman called Sango, had trained the soldiers and guards to protect the place. The army was small...had few weapons...but much courage. And much skill. She had taught them all very well, and they were very loyal to her. The people were very loyal to all those who were fighting to save them.
She couldn't fight anymore, though, because of her condition. She had some second-in-commands who were taking over, but luckily the majority of the training was complete.
InuYasha lay on his side, pulling the blankets over him. He didn't know what to do.
But he wanted to see Kagome.

Somehow, during the night, he managed to fall asleep. The next morning he awoke, his body stiff and sore from sleeping poorly. He got up, and was given his fair share of some sort of gruel. It was rather bland, but the way some people ate it, they thought it was honey.
He realized that to many of them, it was just food, and that was apparently rare.
He shook his head, fighting back a desire to do something for them. Maybe, if he were going to stay here longer, he'd join the soldiers or something. But as he was only going to be here for a short while...
He stood up, and walked outside. And there, he got another shock.
There were a few children, and a fight was starting up. Two young boys were facing off, getting ready to fight. Only the fight had been quickly interrupted.
Shippo stood in the center of the group of children, holding a kid up by the scruff of his shirt.
Shippo looked around 14. Maybe a few years older...about Kohaku's age now. Er...then. He had put some muscle on him, though as a Kitsune he'd never be more than wirey. His hair was longer, still hauled back in a ponytail, only a much more relaxed one. He was taller too, taller than InuYasha would have expected seeing how small he was in his own time. He was almost as tall as Kohaku, though thinner. Leaner. Gone were the bright clothing he wore; now he wore all black pants and shirt, though it, too, was faded.
"All right, that's enough. You know perfectly well there's no fighting around here. Break it up."
Shippo's voice was deeper, surprisingly mellow. He stared at the kid he had, and the kid quietened, "Sorry Shippo."
"Yeah, yeah," Shippo dropped the kid on the ground, "Go home and help your parents pack. Time's gettin close."
The kid picked himself up off the ground, and sort of slinked home, all the fight gone out of him.
Shippo shook his head, and then turned, and looked directly at InuYasha.
The hanyou stiffened slightly.
Shippo seemed...well...if he had seen any other kid in a village talking like that, and with that look on his face, InuYasha would have instantly thought he was looking at a trouble maker, a bad seed. There was a look in his eye like he was expecting trouble, and was more than ready to give it.
Shippo spoke, "Anything I can do to help you, sir?" There was almost a...harsh quality to the Kitsune's voice. The high-pitched voice was gone.
InuYasha spoke, "Shippo?"
Shippo blinked, "How do you know my name?"
"Uh..." he thought fast, "I heard some people inside talk about the Kitsune."
"Oh." He shrugged, "Yeah. That's me. You're new here, right? What's your name?"
It was beyond bizarre for InuYasha to be almost looking Shippo in the eye. Gone was the rounded, child's face, replaced by the glimpse of the future man. Gone was the bow he wore in his hair. Now it was just a simple band. There was a dagger on his belt, and InuYasha wondered, with a sudden flash of sorrow, what had happened to the toys.
InuYasha, for a second, completely forgot what his name was supposed to be, and then it came to him in a flash, "Daiki."
"Daiki. Well...I'd welcome you to the place, but this isn't really a place anyone should feel welcome in."
"Oh?"
The Kistune shrugged again, "Wait till we get through the mountains. Then I'll welcome you." And then he smiled, and it lit up his whole face. His fangs, InuYasha saw, had grown as well. This was no longer a normal Kitsune. There was a wild, dangerous look about Shippo that no other Kitsune he had ever seen had.
"Mountains?"
"Yeah, the -", a shout went up from behind them.
He turned, to see a young woman, running through the village, "I can't find my daughter! Amaya! Amaya! Where are you? Someone help me!"
Shippo shook his head. "Another kid wandered off. You'd think people would be keeping them closer now." He nodded to InuYasha, then turned, heading towards the woman to help.
InuYasha watched him go, and turned, heading over towards where the guards were gathering. They were talking to themselves, putting on their armor, getting ready to pull their duty. InuYasha looked them over with a critical eye.
The armor was poor, as were the weapons. But there was a look in their eyes that spoke of strength. They were more than willing to do what they were doing.
Maybe they had a chance.
InuYasha spoke lowly, "Mikado?"
There was a pause, and then her voice, "I am here, InuYasha."
"Are they going to make it?"
"You ask me questions I can't answer, InuYasha."
"Can't? Or won't?"
"Can't."
He sighed, and turned, strolling over to where the two massive gates were opened. He gazed out through.
There was so much green pasture out there. The farmers could do so much with it. But it just wasn't safe, he supposed.
It was so damned unfair.
Motion caught his eye, and he turned to see a small child, moving outside, picking some flowers. A little girl, making her way carefully from flower patch to patch, a few flowers already in her small hand.
InuYasha blinked, "Hey! There's a kid out there!"
No one seemed to hear him.
"Hey! I said there's a -"
His voice faltered. A darkness was rising up behind the little girl, broiling, like a cloud.
InuYasha blinked, and before Mikado could say anything, he was out through the gates, moving towards the child, his hand on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga.
Mikado's voice was loud in his ear, "Do not pull your sword!"
"I can't let that kid get grabbed!"
"You can't use your sword!"
Cursing, he let go of the sword, and just ran. Maybe he could reach her in time.
He heard shouts going up behind him, Oh NOW you notice!
The little girl looked up at him, her eyes going wide as she saw a strange man come bearing down on her. She turned to run, and came face to face with the darkness.
She screamed.
InuYasha jumped over a fallen log, and grabbed the back of the little girl's dress, his talons, though unseen, passing straight through her dress, and he yanked her backwards, just as a huge set of teeth appeared out of the darkness and snapped.
She screamed again, flailing her little arms at him, as he spun about, and headed backwards to the gates. Maybe he could just outrun them...
Something whipped tightly around his wrist, gouging painfully at his wrist and the back of his hand, trying to get him to drop the child. He cursed in pain, and just held onto her tighter. Her shrill little screams were nearly shattering his eardrums.
A shout from ahead went up, and he looked up to see several of the guards running towards him, their weapons at the ready. They ran straight towards him, brandishing their weapons.
The demon let go of his wrist, and turned to face the new threat.
He felt angry at being dismissed so easily...but in this guise...
He ran back into the village, still carrying the screaming child. He turned and looked outside, watching as the soldiers faced off against the demons. As he watched, he realized he could easily see Sango's techniques, the way they ran, the way they lunged, jumped. It was all Sango.
"Mother!"
He turned in time to see Shippo and the woman running towards them, the woman with her arms out. The little girl was crying, holding out her own arms.
InuYasha put the little child down on her feet, and she ran to her mother, who scooped her up, crying.
The guards ran inside, the demons close behind. As they approached the wall, however, there was a bright flare, and a singed smell, and the demons backed off.
There was some sort of shield around the village.
InuYasha watched as the gates were swung shut, and Shippo spoke from beside him, "Good job."
He looked over at him, and noticed the Kitsune was looking at his hand, "That looks bad. I'll get the healer." He looked at InuYasha again, "You should think about joining the soldiers here. You'd be good at it, I think."
"Maybe..."
"Either way, come on. We'll get your hand tended to."

He followed Shippo to a medium sized healing house, two floors, where several young women were gathered outside on the grass. Some were boiling strips of cloth to make them clean for bandages. Others were grinding herbs for poultices and to be steeped for teas.
One of them stood up, looking at Shippo.
"Shippo! What happened?"
The Kitsune motioned towards InuYasha, "This guy just went out and save a kid from the demons."
All eyes turned onto InuYasha, and he blinked. So much for not getting noticed.
"You did?"
"When?"
"How?"
"Uh..." he raised a hand, "I just ran out and grabbed her."
One of the women blinked when she saw blood dribbling down his hand, "And you were wounded! Come inside, please."
She handed him a clean cloth, and he wrapped his wrist with it, to stop from dribbling blood over everything. He looked around the yard, at the young healers, then at the healing house. It looked like one of the few permanent houses there.
He was ushered inside by Shippo, and led to a cushion on the floor, where he sat. One of the young women came and sat beside him, and unwrapped his wrist.
The blood was still running a little, which alarmed InuYasha some. He was a half-demon, he should be healing by now.
Mikado's voice sounded in his ears, "Those are not normal demons, InuYasha. Their weapons cause demon's wounds to have trouble healing. You, I believe, are familiar with this?"
InuYasha mentally nodded. Way back...when he had been tricked into thinking that Xentia was Kagome...he had fought a demon then that had also cause his wounds to have trouble healing.
The young woman put pressure on the wound, "It will stop shortly. Now tell me, why didn't you just get the guards to go out and rescue the child? They're more prepared for this sort of thing."
InuYasha snorted, "They didn't exactly seem to notice. I didn't have a lot of time."
They were silent as they waited for his hand to stop bleeding. People outside spoke, and sometimes laughed softly, and they all continued to prepare herbs and bandages and things.
About ten minutes later, the young healer unwrapped his hand, the bleeding stopped.
"There we go," she smiled, and another young woman had a bowl of herbal water brought in. She gently started to clean the blood from the wound with a soft cloth, the water in the bowl quickly turning red.
InuYasha hissed slightly, the wound stinging, itching.
"It's deep," she said softly, "You're lucky it wasn't on a more vital part of your body. I think there may be poison in it."
"It'll be fine," he grumped, "Just put some herbs on it, and wrap it, and I'll go."
The young woman softly laughed, "So you're a healer yourself, are you? Think you know better than I?"
He looked at her, angrilly, "No, but there's no point in wasting a lot of time on this, I heal pretty good, it's fine!"
There came the sound of footsteps on the stairs, the steps creaking as the person descended. InuYasha glanced up, over the girl's shoulder, to see another woman approaching with yet another bowl of herbs. She wore a white tunic and nearly black hakama pants, and for a brief second, InuYasha didn't recognise her.
When he did, his eyes widened, time seemed to slow down, the sights and sounds around him fading out as she approached.
Her hair was longer, and tied back loosely from her face. Her face was different, the softness of a young woman's face evening out to that of a woman in her 20's.
Her eyes hadn't changed.
He just stared, breathless.
Kagome.